Keys to the game

Keeping the game close for as long as possible is key for the Flames to have a chance to spring a huge upset over the Baylor Bears this weekend. If Liberty is able to put some points on the board early, it can keep pressure on the heavily favored Big 12 team.

“Score early. For ourselves, hopefully, in the first quarter we’re able to put points on the board,” Coach Gill said of the biggest key to success Saturday. “Obviously, we’d love to score a touchdown, but we need to get points on the board. That’s very important when you play a team that’s so talented like Baylor and a team that has had tremendous success.”

Another crucial aspect to being able to hang around in the game is to limit turnovers, if the Flames can finish the game with no turnovers that would be optimal, obviously.

Tom Sargeant’s emergence

Walk-on redshirt-freshman Thomas Sargeant came virtually out of nowhere this training camp and has vaulted himself into the starting center spot for Liberty’s opener at Baylor. He beat out several scholarship lineman to earn the nod, including Dontae Duff who started 4 games at center in 2016. Sargeant’s emergence has allowed Duff to slide to right guard.

When asked who has improved the most of all the offensive linemen, Gill didn’t hesitate. “Tom Sargeant. There’s no question. He’s a walk-on guy, he’s a redshirt-freshman. He’s a tremendously intelligent young man who has transpired all of that to the football field. (He’s) probably put on 30 points since he first stepped on this campus. He’s the hardest working guy on the field. I love where he’s at. He’s going to get thrown out there, and I believe he will respond in a great way. I’m excited to see him go. I’m really happy to see his great progress. There’s no question, he’s the guy on the football team, overall football team, that has had the biggest improvement from when he first stepped on this campus to where he’s at today.”

DL Coach Vantz Singletary

Coach Singletary’s impact

Liberty’s 4 starters on the defensive line have 28 career starts and 42 games played among them. Behind them though, inexperience abounds. The reserves listed at defensive line on Liberty’s depth chart have a combined 13 games of experience and not one start. Those 13 games all come from 2 players – Devin Fisher and Ralfs Rusins. Rusins is the only reserve that has made a tackle in his Liberty career and he has just 1 career tackle. 5 true freshmen, 3 of which are walk-ons, are listed on the depth chart.

Defensive coordinator says he’s not concerned about that though and there’s one reason. “I’m being very honest when I say this, I’m not concerned because I have Coach Vantz Singletary. His ability to get guys better is just remarkable. He’s proven it over and over again. I think he’s made me a better coach. He made Coach Bookbinder a better coach, Coach Marshal Roberts. God has given him a gift to be able to develop talent, and he’s doing that right now with some of our young guys. Ralfs Rusins has made great strides, Elisha Mitchell has made great strides, Jayod Sanders is coming on the scene to where we feel really good, but like I said Coach Singletary is gifted. God has blessed him, and I’m excited to watch those guys get after it Saturday.”

Stopping the run

Last season, the Flames gave up nearly 220 rushing yards per game, ranking 106th nationally out of 122 FCS teams. Stopping the run has been a focus of defensive coordinator Robert Wimberly’s this offseason. Numerous times during training camp he mentioned how important it is to stop the run. If the Flames expect to have any success against Baylor, they must be able to stop the Bears’ rushing attack led by JaMycal Hasty and true freshman John Lovell. “If you can’t stop the run,” Wimberly explained, “at the end of the day, you may win some games, but you’re not going to win the games that you really need to win.” 

Some other key notes.

  • Coach Gill says he is comfortable sending sophomore kicker Alex Probert for kicks up to 55 yards depending on the situation. Probert was a perfect 6/6 on field goals of 40 yards or longer in 2016.
  • Liberty is 7-1 against the spread against FBS opponents under Coach Gill. The Flames were 7-0 before failing to cover the 14.5 spread against SMU last year. The final margin of that game was 15 points. The line against Baylor is currently Liberty +29.
  • I will be making the trip to Waco for the game. Make sure you follow @a_seaofred on Instagram as I will be updating my story on Instagram throughout the weekend. Join along, it will be fun!

Notable quotes.

Robert Wimberly on true freshman corner Kimani Donaldson – “I’m going to tell you, this young man surprised me. I actually apologized to the young man because when we made that transition to FBS, of course, you’re looking at your recruits and you’re saying who can really help us in 2018 and 2019. I wasn’t disappointed that we had him signed, but at the time we were an FCS program. I’m a transparent person, I told him after watching him the first week of practice, ‘son, you can play at the FBS level.’ He plays hard. He’s physical. He does a great job getting his hands on receivers, and Coach Roberts has done a great job in teaching him our scheme. I promise you that will be a name in years to come that you’re going to be excited he’s a part of this program.” 

Solomon McGinty on Baylor game – “It’s hard to say, but (playing in my home state of Texas against Baylor) is a better feeling than getting in the playoffs. Getting a home game my senior year, that cheered me up a lot more than trying to play for a championship.”

Solomon McGinty on Liberty’s pending FBS move and his senior season – “It’s God’s work. It’s a blessing for Liberty. I chose to come here. I can’t say I wasn’t expecting it because as soon as I got here, during my recruitment, I was hearing about Liberty trying to go to FBS. It’s not a surprise. I’m happy for them, but it’s not about me. I still have a season to play and prove myself that I can play football and hopefully the scouts give me a shot.”

My prediction:

Baylor 39, Liberty 17